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One day, the eager mountain ascetic En no Gyooja (円の行者)threw three lotus petals in the air and vowed to establish temples on the ground where they fell.
One landed in Yoshino, one landed in Ishizuchi Mountain (Shikoku) and one, well, you guess, here in Mitoku Mountain! That was way back in the year 706 !

This year 2006, on the third Sunday in October, the great celebration of 1300 years is held. The renewal of the famous Nage-ire Doo is also celebrated. Mountain ascetics walk through the glowing ambers on that day.

The shrine, established in 709, is home to an obscure little building known as Nagereidou or Oku no in 奥の院 (depends on who you ask) perched high upon the mountain and set into the rock face.
The fact that it faces north, and receives no direct sunlight, means that it pretty looks the same as it did some 1,300 years ago (in 2006 it will celebrate its 1300th birthday) when it was constructed. No one is quite sure who built it, or how it was built, but a climb up there will confirm just how difficult it must have been, as the last 20 odd meters involves hauling yourself up the rock face by chain.

On the last Sunday of October the shrine is host to an annual Yamabushi fire walking festival. At this time the usual 500 yen entry fee is waived, and you can climb to the shrine for free. You can also enjoy the priest’s usual faire of rice porridge and vegetables, and wash it down with a cup of sake warmed in long pieces of bamboo over an open fire. It’s also non-gratis, but any donation you care to make is gratefully accepted.

For 500 yen you can take off your shoes and participate in the ritual (which begins off at 1:00PM) and follow the monks and the yamabushi as they walk barefoot over the flames. The act offers purification and protection. The shrine (the entire mountain is actually a shrine) is a National Treasure of Japan and is currently being considered for inclusion as a World Heritage site.http://www.outdoorjapan.com/columns/tales-9.html

After registering at the entrance and being lectured on the difficulty of the path, with chains to cling to, climbing on all four legs, not allowed a stick because you need your hands free ... Bernd took off by himself.

There is also a monorail now for transporting the material for repairing the hall.

In the year 1164 a retainer of Minamoto no Yoshitomo named 大久保左馬之祐王家 Okubo went to Mount Mitoku san to pray for the country. On the way he met a white fox, messenger of Myoken San 妙見山 and helped him in distress. At night Myoken Daibosatsu appeared in his dream. He told Okubo that there was a holy spot at the roots of the old camphor tree 老楠. Myoken would pass this on to Okubo if he helped to save people with it.When Okubo looked the next day, he found the well of a hot spring . . . that was the beginning of Misasa Onsen. .http://heianperiodjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/07/daibosatsu-legends.html.